


All Expenses Paid

by thoroughlynerdy



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 01:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10731381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoroughlynerdy/pseuds/thoroughlynerdy
Summary: Baekhyun wins an all expenses paid trip to New York. He just doesn't read the details.





	All Expenses Paid

**Author's Note:**

> Hi new fandom! *waves* Uh, so, this is my first attempt at Exo fic, so if anything seems off, or weird, or _anything_ please let me know.
> 
> Thanks to K who did a grammar check on this for me. You're hero!

Baekhyun shuffles down the narrow aisle of the plane, carry on held in front of him as he alternates between scanning the numbers along the top of the rows, and following Yixing’s backpack as they search for their seats. They’re relegated to economy class, but they’re flying for free so he can’t complain too much about the prospect of spending fourteen hours wedged between his best friend and some stranger.

“This is us,” Yixing says slowing to a stop a few seats down. He quickly hefts his bag into the overhead bin, then turns and takes Baekhyun’s from him as well. Baekhyun gives him a quick smile of thanks, eyes bright, before they’re scooting sideways into their row and shoving their respective backpacks under the seats in front of them as quickly as possible.

Baekhyun shifts in his seat and reaches behind him, hands returning full of a plastic wrapped pillow, blanket, and a small bag of complimentary amenities. He shoves them unceremoniously into the seat pocket in front of him and settles back with a sigh. As his thoughts start to wander, someone drops heavily into the seat next to them and Baekhyun curls instinctively towards Yixing, the other giving him a soft smile in return.

“I still can’t believe you won this trip,” Yixing says a while later when they’re finally in the air and headed towards their destination. “You must have done something really nice in your previous life to deserve something like this.”

Baekhyun hums and grins good-naturedly in reply. He’d been surprised himself when he received the message stating that he’d be receiving a five day, four night stay in New York City. He hadn’t bothered much with the details beyond that, just fired off a quick text to his best friend asking if he could get some time off work and wondering how he would feel about exploring New York with him. “This just means you’re indebted to me for life.”

“Life sounds good,” Yixing says thoughtfully.

They while away the first few hours by syncing up movies on the monitors in the headrests in front of them so they can watch together. Baekhyun gives Yixing first choice, so they end up watching the newest Avengers movie. Towards the end, Baekhyun suddenly finds Yixing’s head dropping to his shoulder and he goes very still, not wanting to move and disturb him. No matter how still Baekhyun is though, his heart is hammering in his chest and he hopes it isn’t audible over the sound of the movie in Yixing’s earbuds. Harboring secret feelings for your best friend is difficult, but something Baekhyun’s been dealing with for years so he knows how to work around this. Eventually, Baekhyun dozes off as well.

He wakes, several hours later, to Yixing blinking sleepily at him and his stomach twists as he gives him a sleepy smile in return. This time it’s him who burrows into Yixing’s side and drifts back to sleep.

\---

After they retrieve their bags from the carousel and go through customs, Baekhyun relays the instructions in the e-mail the company sent him. “There’s going to be someone waiting for us at Ground Transportation who will take us to the hotel,” he informs Yixing.

Yixing nods and scans the various signs around them, eyes lighting up when he finds the right one, “This way then,” he gestures. They set off, Yixing pushing the trolley loaded with their luggage as Baekhyun follows obediently.

They spot him immediately, iPad displaying BAEKHYUN BYUN in bold letters. And Yixing steers the trolley towards him easily.

“I’m Byun Baekhyun,” Baekhyun greets cheerily.

The man gives him a bored nod in reply, “Right this way,” he says and leads them towards the automatic doors.

As they drive through the city, Baekhyun practically has his face pressed against the window as he takes the sights in. He settles down once they enter the Holland Tunnel though and his view is limited. “I’m starving, I vote we get pizza as soon as we’ve dropped our bags off,” Baekhyun requests.

“Pizza sounds good,” Yixing agrees easily. “We have that list Junmyeon hyung gave us of places to try, so let’s see if there’s one near the hotel.”

They continue to chat idly as the car inches forward through the traffic towards their hotel. The city feels both foreign and familiar at the same time, with the traffic and skyscrapers, but there is no denying that it already has a distinct energy of its own. Nothing like Seoul.

Check-in goes smoothly once they arrive. They are greeted by smiling staff as they step up to the counter and Baekhyun gives his name and produces his passport for identification.

“We have room 607 reserved for you, gentlemen,” the desk clerk says with a smile, eyes crinkling into small crescents. “It’s got an awesome view. We also have a small bar located at the far end of the lobby,” he gestures towards the six seater bar, “and offer a free happy hour between five and six pm if you would like to join us. We also have a free continental breakfast until ten, or if you want there’s a restaurant one floor up from us, but that one costs money.”

Baekhyun grins back at him and decides he really likes this kid, “Thank you, sir,” he says as he reaches out to receive the keycards being offered.

“Please, call me Sehun, and let me know if there is anything else I can help you with during your stay. Thanks for choosing The Roger for your stay. Jongin will help you with your bags.”

Another tall, well dressed young man emerges from seemingly nowhere and quickly loads their luggage onto a new trolley and whisks them away towards the elevator.

The elevator is cramped with three men and a trolley of suitcases, but they make their way to the sixth floor quickly, so the discomfort is minimal.

When they arrive at their room, Baekhyun uses the keycard to open it and reveal a quaint little room. With one bed. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he looks around and glances to Yixing to see a similar look of confusion on his face.

Just as Baekhyun is about to ask about the bed, Jongin gives him a broad smile, “Please enjoy your stay at The Roger and congratulations on your engagement. We are honored you chose to celebrate with us.”

Baekhyun is gaping, but Yixing gives him a blinding smile of his own, then chirps out a quick “Thank you” before bowing deeply and slipping Jongin a couple of bucks as he is backing out of the room.

Baekhyun stares at Yixing, “Thank you? Why would you say thank you and not ‘what the fuck are you talking about we’re not engaged?’” he demands, voice a little louder than he intends.

“It was the polite thing to say,” Yixing defends.

“Why are you worried about being polite? And why do they think we’re engaged?” Baekhyun asks, immediately spinning on his heels and searching the room for answers.

Yixing shrugs, “Maybe something got lost in translation?” he asks and decides to focus on getting his things in order instead of solving the mysteries of the universe.

Baekhyun spots a letter on the bed and opens it as he settles down atop the covers. He’s relieved to see it’s written in Korean so he won’t have to Google Translate his way through it.

_Welcome to New York!_

_Congratulations again on winning the Love Me Right Dream Getaway Contest from us here at Cherish magazine. We hope you and your fiancé enjoy the wonders of the city as you celebrate together. As per the contest regulations, our photographer/journalist pair will meet you in the lobby at 9:00 AM to discuss your itinerary and to do a small interview so we can introduce you to our readers._

_-Kim Minseok  
Editor_

“Oh,” Baekhyun says quietly as he sets the paper back down on the bed and grins at his best friend sheepishly.

“Oh?” Yixing inquires curiously, coming to rest in front of him.

“I guess I didn’t read the fine print?” Baekhyun tries to hedge the question and move the paper out of Yixing’s reach, but the other snags it just before Baekhyun can do so. Baekhyun watches as Yixing’s eyes run down the page. As he reads, Yixing’s eyes widen then narrow as they turn back to Baekhyun

“You entered a contest for newly engaged couples? That doesn’t seem like fine print.”

Baekhyun giggles nervously, “I swear, all I saw was all expenses paid vacation to New York and submitted my name.”

Yixing sighs fondly, “I actually believe you. Do we tell them tomorrow when we meet the magazine guys?”

Baekhyun shrugs, “I don’t see why we need to.” At Yixing’s incredulous look he starts speaking a little more quickly, “What if when they find out they demand their money back for the flight and hotel? I don’t have that kind of cash, and I’m ninety five percent sure you don’t either.”

Yixing worries his bottom lip between his teeth before nodding resignedly, “Point. I don’t like lying though.”

“I know. I’m sorry to put you into this position, Xing. Hey, at least we’ve shared a bed like, a hundred times, so it won’t be weird for us. And we’ll try and keep the lying to a minimum?” Baekhyun offers with a hopeful smile.

Yixing snorts in response and ruffles Baekhyun’s hair, “I don’t see how that’s possible. C’mon, get unpacked so we can get some food.”

“One second, let me just tell Jongdae we made it,” Baekhyun says then pulls out his phone to connect to the hotel’s Wi-Fi.

Jongdae is the only other person on the planet who knows about Baekhyun’s feelings for Yixing. He’d confided in Jongdae one night over beers and video games a few months after he’d realized his feelings. 

_Made it to NYC! Oh, I didn’t read the fine print and the contest I won was for engaged couples so now we have to pretend to be engaged while we’re here._

right, and i just signed my first record deal.

_I’m serious. I didn’t read the contest details and just entered._

He sends him a picture of the letter as evidence. Jongdae’s reply of seven crying laughing emojis has Baekhyun scowling at his phone.

_I’m never speaking to you again if you’re not going to HELP ME._

what do you want me to do from the other side of the world?

maybe this is a sign you should confess!

_Yeah, except for the part where that would end in disaster._

“Ready?” Yixing asks coming to stand in front of Baekhyun where he still sits on the bed.

“Defintely,” Baekhyun says in return and makes quick work of his suitcases before they go off in search of authentic New York Pizza.

\---

The next morning Baekhyun wakes with his arm draped over his best friend’s chest and his mouth dangerously close to his face. He freezes, then gingerly disentangles himself before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and scrubbing a hand across his face. Through bleary eyes, he checks the time and the bright red 7:30 from the alarm clock lets him know he can let his friend sleep a little longer before their charade truly starts.

Baekhyun shuffles his way to the small closet, digging through before finding the shirt and jeans he is looking for, then closes himself in the bathroom. He makes showers quickly, humming quietly to himself as he washes his hair and scrubs himself clean. Twenty minutes later he emerges from the bathroom amid a cloud of steam and is greeted by one of his favorite smiles on the planet. 

“Morning,” he smiles back, cheeks flushing from more than the heat of the shower water.

Yixing’s hair is a mess, sticking up in several places and his eyes are puffy from sleep. Baekhyun’s heart does backflips inside his chest anyway, but he quashes down the feeling. 

“Morning,” Yixing rasps back, voice sleep heavy.

“I’ll go grab a couple coffees from the lobby downstairs while you hop in the shower, okay?” Baekhyun offers, both because he needs some caffeine and some space between them at the moment to get a grip on himself.

“You’re too good to me,” Yixing replies stretching languidly in the bed.

Baekhyun throws his towel at him, “Get moving, lazy bones.” He softens the blow with a fond smile before taking one of the keycards from the bedside table and slipping into his sneakers. He shuts the door to Yixing grumbling as he reluctantly rolls out of bed.

Once inside the lobby, Baekhyun looks over to the reception desk and throws a quick wave at Sehun who waves back at him. He takes in the array of food set out and the small coffee station at the end of the table. He makes two coffees, black for Yixing, and cream and sugar for himself, then after a quick debate, grabs a small plate and takes a couple of muffins as well. He bites down on the edge of one of the travel cups, holding one coffee between his teeth, and holds the other coffee and the plate in each hand. The elevator now looks about a mile away with his precarious load, but he doesn’t want to make another trip down to the lobby if he can help it.

When the elevator dings open, he steps on along with another guest who gave him a sympathetic look at his full hands, “Which floor?”

“Skithth,” Baekhyun replies through his teeth and the coffee cup, and garners a quiet laugh from the other who presses the button for him. “Sanks,” Baekhyun says again knowing full well his words were muffled, but that’s half the fun.

When he gets back to the room, Baekhyun sets the coffee in his hands on the floor before fishing the keycard out of his pocket and opening the door. He is fully settled on the bed, feet propped up and muffin halfway devoured, when Yixing emerges from the bathroom, hands running the towel through his hair to dry it. Baekhyun swallows his bite of muffin thickly and holds out Yixing’s coffee wordlessly.

“Let’s get our story straight,” Yixing says as he slumps onto the bed next to Baekhyun and takes a long sip of coffee, his eyes sliding closed in bliss. “How did we meet?”

“You were instantly charmed by me swooping in and saving you when you were lost on campus after you first transferred in?” Baekhyun offers, a glint in his eye at the memory.

“You walked me like, a mile out of my way to get to the science building,” Yixing protests, reaching over to steal a bite of the muffin in his friend’s hand. “That’s not charming.”

“I brought you your own,” Baekhyun grumbles and shoves the plate with the extra muffin on it towards him. “And that was hilarious, it took you what, three weeks to realize? And it wasn’t until Junmyeon hyung was walking with you and pointed it out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you pout harder since then.” 

Yixing rolls his eyes and brakes off part of his muffin, shoving it into Baekhyun’s mouth, “Fine, we’ll say you tricked me and that, being the kind and benevolent soul that I am, I forgave you, and that’s how we met. But how did we start dating?” His eyes are curious now.

Baekhyun chews thoughtfully. “One night we were supposed to meet up at your dorm for a movie night and everyone but me cancelled at the last minute. It was one of those stupid sentimental movies you love, and as the night went on we got closer. After the movie we were playing around, reenacting the final scene, and then I leaned in and kissed you. The rest is history.”

Yixing hums thoughtfully, “Yeah, I guess you would be the one with more courage.”

Baekhyun blinks at him, a million questions on the tip of his tongue, but then Yixing is rolling off the bed and draining the rest of his cup of coffee. “C’mon, the magazine guys are supposed to meet us in a few minutes, let’s go start our life of deception.”

\---

As they step out of the elevator and prepare to start their charade, Baekhyun takes a deep breath and turns to his best friend. “Last chance to back out. I won’t blame you if you don’t want to go through with this. They probably won’t really make us pay it back all at once.”

Yixing huffs out a laugh, “Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?” He reaches out and intertwines Baekhyun’s fingers with his own, “C’mon, fiancé, let's introduce ourselves to the world.”

They spot the photographer/journalist pair easily among those enjoying the continental breakfast in the lobby. The photographer’s fire engine red hair helps to draw attention, and the large camera bag at his side cements his identity.

Yixing leads Baekhyun over and they stop in front of the pair, smiling a little nervously.

“Excuse me, are you two the representatives from _Cherish_?” Baekhyun asks, voice quieter than usual.

The smaller of the two eyes them a little suspiciously, “We are.” The voice is a little lower than Baekhyun had expected.

“I’m Byun Baekhyun, I won the contest? And this is Zhang Yixing, my fiancé?” Baekhyun’s tone is unsure, his statements coming across more as questions, and he watches as confusion, then understanding flashes across the pair’s features.

“Your fiancé?” the smaller one asks, eyes narrowing at the word. “Your fiancé is male?”

Baekhyun nods weakly and feels Yixing give his hand a reassuring squeeze. “We know we’re not traditional, but we thought it was really nice that your magazine is willing to celebrate us, and your ad didn’t specify that couples couldn’t be the same sex,” Baekhyun replies with a smile.

The smaller man’s mouth opens, but no sound comes out. He turns instead to his partner.

“Park Chanyeol,” the one with the red hair says with a smile, standing quickly and offering them a small bow. “I’m the photographer, and this is Do Kyungsoo, the writer.” He towers over both Baekhyun and Yixing, and Do Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo, next to Chanyeol, gives them a curt nod. “I wonder what Hyungnim is going to say about this,” he mutters to Chanyeol.

“He can sort that out later. Let’s just do our job for now,” Chanyeol shrugs and gestures for Baekhyun and Yixing to join them at the table.

“You’ve received this trip in exchange for allowing us to publish photos and details of both your relationship and your time spent here in New York,” Kyungsoo begins slipping into business mode once they are all settled. “We have a few specific photoshoots and events planned, but we will also ask to get copies of some of the photos you take on your cellphones or other cameras during the trip, that way we have some photos from the times we won’t be with you.”

Baekhyun nods, hands fidgeting on the table as the schedule is outlined for him.

“We’ll start with breakfast today at Carlo’s Bakery in Times Square, then get some shots of you two walking around and shopping a bit in the tourist parts. We’ll talk more about future scheduling, later, but for now let’s just going.

They decide to walk since the spring weather is perfect, and so Baekhyun and Yixing can take in the sights along the way. They chat idly, Baekhyun calling out a “Watch for the yellow ones, they don’t stop!” a nod to one of their favorite holiday movies, as they wait at the crosswalk for the walk sign to appear and a taxi drives past.

Yixing giggles at him dimple showing full force, then slips his hand in Baekhyun’s once more as they cross the street.

Baekhyun’s steps falter, but he blames it on the unfamiliar sidewalk and presses on, heat rising to his cheeks.

As they spot the bakery, Yixing lets out a quiet groan. “The line is literally out the door,” he grumps turning toward the pair from _Cherish_.

“It’ll give you more time to decide what you’re having,” Kyungsoo shrugs in response and ushers them into line.

Once inside, the smell of the bakery overwhelms them and fills their senses. The smell of baking bread combined with coffee makes Baekhyun’s mouth water, and his eyes go wide as he sees the large display case full of baked goods.

Kyungsoo disappears a minute later, and Baekhyun searches for him, finally spotting him in a far corner at a table, staking claim to it.

“Can I get one of everything?” Baekhyun asks, eyelashes fluttering at Chanyeol.  
Yixing thumps him on the head with a laugh, “You’ll explode before you get through a quarter of the menu.”

“But at least I’d go out happily,” Baekhyun sighs.

In the end they decide on a Cheese Danish, a Cherry Danish, and two cream puffs.

“Four regular coffees,” Chanyeol adds before handing over his card.

Baekhyun follows Chanyeol to where Kyungsoo waits, Yixing heading over to take care of adding the necessary cream and sugar to Baekhyun’s coffee for him. As he threads his way through the tables towards them, flashes him a quick heart with his fingers. 

“He’s the best,” Baekhyun sighs happily.

Chanyeol snorts into his drink and Kyungsoo looks bored in response.

Once they’re all back together, Baekhyun turns his full attention to the others. “What do you want to know?” Baekhyun asks.

“Let’s start with general information about you. Names, ages, hometowns, how you met, the basics,” Kyungsoo replies laying his phone on the table, opening up the voice recorder app. He settles in with his own coffee, getting comfortable.

“Um, well, I’m Byun Baekhyun, twenty four years old, from Bucheon-si Gyeonggi-do. I moved to Seoul for university four years ago, and that’s where I met Xing,” Baekhyun turns toward the mentioned man and gives him a quick smile.

Yixing smiles back, “I’m Zhang Yixing, twenty five, and from Changsha in China. I moved to Seoul four years ago as an international student, and that’s where I met Baekhyunnie.”

They relay the story of their first meeting, as well as the fabricated one of their first kiss, earning smiles from both the photographer and the writer.

Baekhyun is just about to take a bite of his Danish when Chanyeol stops him, “Wait!” he says a little too urgently, causing Baekhyun to drop the pastry. “Sorry, I just, we need pictures. That’s why we’re here,” he explains as he digs his camera out of the bag and slings it around his neck. He takes a few test shots, examining the lighting and his levels before he gives the table a wide grin, “Okay, eat away!”

Baekhyun returns the pastry to his mouth taking a bite and smiling at the flavor. After a few bites he holds it out, offering it to Yixing, who trades him for the plain cheese Danish, and takes the pastry to grab a bite of his own. Once they’ve moved on to the cream puffs, Yixing is just about to take a bite when Chanyeol’s voice cuts in, “You should feed him.”

Yixing looks a little startled, glances from the pastry to Baekhyun, but then smiles and holds it out, offering Baekhyun a bite.

Baekhyun leans in, teeth closing around the soft dough and ends up with cream smeared along his lip for his effort. Yixing takes his thumb and wipes off the excess cream, then licks it, eyes shining. “Tasty,” he says smile wicked.

Baekhyun’s face flushes and he takes a quick drink of his coffee, which has thankfully cooled enough not to scald his esophagus on the way down.

He polishes off the rest of the cream puff on his own and wills himself to calm down again. They leave shortly after and go to explore.

Times Square proper is thrumming with life and activity. Baekhyun has only been around this many people at once a handful of times and it would be easy to get caught up in the crush of people without Yixing’s arm snug around his waist as they follow Chanyeol’s larger body through the crowd towards their destination. Once they reach the courtyard area with the less than authentic looking mascots, they set up a few more photo ops with the people and the different advertisements and buildings in the background. 

“I think that’s all we’ll need for today,” Kyungsoo says after another half an hour passes. “We’ll meet again in the lobby around noon the day after tomorrow to do the next set of photos. We’re going to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and get some shots of you exploring Chinatown too,” he explains as Chanyeol packs his equipment away.

Yixing brightens at the mention of Chinatown and Baekhyun laughs. “You’ll be in your element. All of the little old shop ladies will love you,” he coos.

Yixing wrinkles his nose and scoffs, but it only makes Baekhyun smile wider.

Once they’re alone again, Baekhyun turns to Yixing, “That wasn’t so bad,” he declares and offers his hand up for a high five. Yixing gives him a quizzical look, but returns it nonetheless.

“It didn’t really feel that much different from our usual days,” Yixing laughs, then stops, “except for feeding you. That was new.”

The laugh that bubbles from Baekhyun’s throat is loud and clear and makes Yixing laugh himself. “We did come to New York for new experiences,” he replies with a grin.

Yixing rolls his eyes and nods, playing along. “That we did.”

They poke around in the different shops, getting color coordinated bags of M&M’s as well as browsing through Fossil and The Disney Store.

Baekhyun yawns suddenly, the jet lag catching up to him as they slowly make their way back to their hotel. “Would you be opposed to maybe just hanging out at the hotel tonight? We can explore night life tomorrow, but this jet lag is kicking my ass right now,” he asks.

“That’s fine with me. We’ll even grab dinner at the restaurant there so we don’t have to go back out later,” Yixing replies slinging an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders as they walk.

Baekhyun melts into the embrace, “Why are you so perfect?”

“I don’t know, but you’re lucky you’re marrying me,” Yixing teases back.

Baekhyun’s stomach does that flipping thing again and suddenly Yixing’s arm is a little too tight on his shoulder. He laughs, a little forced, as they turn another corner. He can’t bring himself to pull away.

\---

Dinner, as promised, is a subdued affair. They get a little table near the back and order burgers, much to Yixing’s delight. Baekhyun remembers their instructions from Kyungsoo and Chanyeol midway through the meal and digs his phone out from his pocket. Yixing has a mouthful of meat and Baekhyun doesn’t warn him before he snaps a picture, Yixing’s cheeks bulging with food and eyes scrunched up in bliss.

“Baek, delete it,” Yixing whines as Baekhyun positively cackles at the image he caught.

“Never. Here, I’ll take one where you’re ready. That’s the compromise.”

Yixing pouts, but complies anyway, bringing the burger up to his mouth and stopping just short, his smile big as he poses for Baekhyun this time.

Baekhyun snaps the picture and shows his friend, making sure to get his approval this time.

Satisfied, Yixing takes a bite, then fishes his own camera out, “Your turn,” he says once he’s swallowed.

Baekhyun goes for his French fries, swirling one in ketchup before bringing it up to his mouth, he opens wide and holds the fry an inch or so away, waiting while Yixing frames him. At Yixing’s nod, Baekhyun unceremoniously shoves the whole fry in his mouth and reaches out for the phone in Yixing’s hand. Yixing hands it over without protest and Baekhyun approves the picture before sliding the device back over to him.

They decide to split the molten chocolate cake, and ask the waiter to snap a picture of both of them with the dessert before he leaves. As they eat, it’s Yixing this time who gets a smudge of chocolate on his face. Baekhyun internally debates if he should just tell him, or maybe reach out and take care of it himself like Yixing had done with the cream puff earlier. There’s no camera or reporter to excuse the behavior though, so if he does, it will _mean_ something. _Fuck it_ he thinks, _maybe Jongdae’s right_ and he reaches out and swipes at the corner of Yixing’s mouth, binging his thumb back to his lips and licking at it with a grin. “You had a little something,” he explains to Yixing’s wide eyes. Satisfaction courses through him at the color that dusts Yixing’s cheeks as well.

They charge the meal to the room and retreat back for a quiet night in with the television and each other’s company.

\---

The next morning is a repeat of the previous day, with Baekhyun scrambling out of bed before Yixing can realize he’s wrapped around him. He’s a notorious snuggler, but his subconscious is moving a little faster than he wants to and that could cause some problems if he’s not careful. He attempts to drown his thoughts in the shower, but Yixing’s smile is waiting for him every time he closes his eyes against the spray.

Yixing is awake again when he emerges from the shower, but instead of retrieving coffee for the both of them, Baekhyun elects to wait so they can go down together. While Yixing showers, Baekhyun texts Jongdae again.

_I keep waking up on him._

waking up ON him?

_Yeah. Apparently asleep me loves to use Xing as a pillow. Awake me would to, but is much more reluctant to do it._

awake you should make a move. then both awake and asleep you might be able to get some.

_Remind me. Why do I keep asking you for help again?_

because i’m the only one who knows your misery.

“Who are you texting?” Yixing asks startling Baekhyun.

“Just checking in with Jongdae,” Baekhyun replies shoving his phone in his pocket.

Over a leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs, Baekhyun develops a game plan. “Let’s do MoMA, then Central Park,” he suggests.

“Oh, can we go to Strawberry Fields?” Yixing asks, interest piqued with the mention of the park.  
“Sure, that gives us a destination instead of blind park wandering,” Baekhyun answers, spearing another bite of egg.

Yixing gives him a dimpled smile as he polishes off the rest of his food.

\---  
They hop on the subway, but get off a few stops early to see some sights on the way.

The walk to the museum is subdued, both of them taking in the various sights of the city and stopping for obligatory selfies with the lions in front of the Library.

“I think this one’s Patience,” Baekhyun says pointing to the lion on the right. “The other one is Fortitude?” he asks as he waits for the crowds to dissipate a bit before framing up his selfie.

“Which way is south?” Yixing asks staring at his phone. At Baekhyun’s blank look, Yixing explains, “it says that the one on the south side of the steps is Patience and the north side is Fortitude.”

Baekhyun laughs and pulls Yixing towards him. “Just come take a picture with me and we’ll worry about finding a compass after,” he says, slinging an arm around him.

Yixing presses their cheeks together and grins into the camera. Baekhyun lifts his fingers into a quick V before pressing the shutter.

Once they get to the museum, Baekhyun starts leading Yixing around, grabbing his hand and tugging him in the direction of whatever piece of art grabs his attention first. Most of the time he doesn’t really understand the pieces, but he appreciates the effort from the artists nonetheless.

Baekhyun stops suddenly in his tracks when he sees a square piece of green burlap hanging on the wall. He stares at it, eyebrows furrowed as he tries to make sense of it, then leans in and reads the description, “Green burlap on wall.” He frowns, pulls out his phone, and translates the phrase thinking he’s misunderstood something because surely there must be more to it than that. But no, the description is as simple in Korean as it was in English and Baekhyun scoffs loudly. “I hate modern art sometimes. Some of it is just so useless,” he whines.

“I’m sure it has great meaning to the artist,” Yixing soothes, running a comforting hand down Baekhyun’s back.

“Yeah, I’m sure the artist could come up with some bullshit to make it seem way cooler than it is.” He sneers and turns to Yixing, a glint in his eye, “The square edges represent the stages we live in life and how each one must come to an end before the next can begin. While not every stage is the same length in life, they are all equally as important so that’s why I chose to use a square to represent them. Green is a color of life, of thriving, of money, so that is why it’s painted green. I just liked that particular shade of green though.” Baekhyun says in his most pretentious accent, his hand gesturing wildly as he speaks.

Yixing’s laugh rings out too loud in the room and soon several eyes turn in their direction. He bows in apology as Baekhyun snickers at his expense.

They wind their way through the rest of the museum and spend longer than they want to waiting for some space around Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” to open so they can get some pictures both of and with the famous painting. They both agree that the sculpture garden is beautiful, even if Baekhyun spent half the time dodging bees and the other half shooting dirty looks at Yixing for laughing at him.

\---

Baekhyun can’t help but think New York must be opening up something between them when they leave the museum and set a course for Strawberry Fields in Central Park. He automatically slips his hand into Yixing’s as they admire the trees and sidestep strollers along the paths. He smiles fondly when Yixing has trouble making up his mind when they stop for ice cream at one of the little carts along their path, then leans over and steals a bite of the cherry popsicle without a hint of shame.

Yixing in turn matches him step for step, a guiding hand on the small of Baekhyun’s back as they navigate the crowded streets or a quick brush of his bangs out of his eyes as they admire the scenery.

Baekhyun’s heart is full, and he knows it’s mostly a pretext, but he can’t help but hope for something more. Maybe he should breech the subject sooner rather than later, but he doesn’t want to shatter what they have right now.

Yixing lights up when they approach the section of the park dedicated to John Lennon. The flowers are gorgeous and as they near the Imagine mosaic, they hear the strum of an acoustic guitar. As it comes into view, Yixing starts singing along to “Let It Be,” his head tilted close to Baekhyun and his lips almost grazing his ear.

Baekhyun turns towards him. He’s way too close to Yixing like this but he can’t pull away. Yixing’s voice trails off to a whisper as the song ends, and they’re pulled apart by the scattered applause for the guitarist.

“You should sing more often, your voice is beautiful,” Baekhyun tells him as they settle down onto one of the benches to enjoy some time in the afternoon sun.

\---

The next time they meet up with Kyungsoo and Chanyeol, they get hot pot for lunch and Baekhyun gorges himself on thinly sliced Angus beef and Yixing becomes mildly obsessed with the pork shoulder. Once they’re full, Chanyeol snaps pictures of them as they wind their way through Chinatown and Yixing regales them with stories of growing up with his grandparents in Changsha and helping out with the little garden they had.

“I’d get in trouble because I would feed the bunnies and they would always come back and eat our peppers. Wàipó would come after me, but she always forgave me in the end,” he laughs.

“I love hearing stories about your grandma,” Baekhyun says knocking his shoulder into Yixing’s.  
“She sounds like such an awesome lady.”

“You haven’t met her yet?” Kyungsoo asks curiously. “You’ve been dating for what, three years and now you’re engaged,” he adds, eyebrows furrowing as they near the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge.

A flash of panic courses through Baekhyun and he stutters for something to say to explain. Yixing comes to his rescue though.

“It’s expensive to fly, and as university students we haven’t had much extra money to spend on trips,” he explains easily.

Kyungsoo nods and Chanyeol ushers them to the side of the path so they aren’t in the way while he gives them a rundown of his plan for the photoshoot. “It gets really busy in certain sections, so we won’t have much opportunity to stop for photos. I’m going to focus on mainly candid shots, so just be natural with each other and try and forget we’re here. Feel free to take scenery pictures or selfies with your phones if you want to—this is your vacation after all!” 

True to the prediction, there are swarms of people on the bridge, but they make the best of it as they head towards Brooklyn.

“Why exactly are we walking to Brooklyn though?” Baekhyun whines slightly right as Yixing pulls him close when an insistent bike bell warns of impending doom.

“We get a really nice view?” Yixing tries, keeping Baekhyun tucked neatly into his side as they walk.

“We also get to have super exciting near death experiences,” Baekhyun grumbles, but burrows just a little deeper into Yixing even if it is pushing 27 degrees outside.

“I also heard there’s a really good ice cream place right at the other side,” Yixing adds thoughtfully.

“Now that makes much more sense.”

They stop near one of the arches and take some photos. Baekhyun asks Kyungsoo if he would mind taking one where they’re both jumping together and he obliges. They laugh as they jump up and down several times hoping to get one where they’re both in sync with their feet off the ground and their eyes on the camera. 

When they reach the Brooklyn side, Yixing steers them towards ice cream and they join the line while Kyungsoo once again sets off to find a place for them to sit. Baekhyun chooses butter pecan, while Yixing goes for cookies and cream.

It’s warm, so the ice cream starts to melt almost immediately. Before he can even sit down, Baekhyun has sticky stuff dripping down his arm. He licks at the base of the cone to try and slow it down, but it just gets all over him instead.

“You’re such a mess,” Yixing says fondly, then swipes at Baekhyun’s mouth with a napkin. “This is why I got a dish, not a cone,” he adds moving the napkin to wipe his arm down as well.

Baekhyun pouts, but eats his ice cream quickly, not getting time to actually savor the flavor. Yixing offers him a bite of his own as an apology. As Baekhyun is won over by the gesture, he notices Chanyeol watching them, a smile on his face.

“What?” he asks, swiping his hand across his mouth in case he still has ice cream on it.

“You guys are just really cute. I can totally see the love,” Chanyeol says. “It’s totally coming across in the pictures too.”

Baekhyun squirms and forces a smile. He really does hate lying about this, but he also really loves this fake relationship with Yixing. He’s getting to live out a dream he’s had for years, but hearing Chanyeol, and being reminded of exactly what they’re doing, makes him realize that reality will come crashing back in sooner rather than later. Especially when this story gets published and they suddenly need to explain to various friends and family why this magazine thinks they’re getting married. This will be a disaster.

“Should we try and get some shots with Manhattan in the background?” Kyungsoo asks, drawing attention to himself.

Baekhyun sags a little in relief and gets a curious glance from Yixing. He holds him back a bit while Chanyeol and Kyungsoo go to explore angles.

“Are you okay? I can feel you tensing up next to me,” Yixing says, concern tugging the corners of his mouth down. “Is it the lying? I hate that too, but it won’t be forever,” he offers.

Baekhyun nods then chews his lower lip, “The lying is part of it, yeah, but also, how are we going to explain this when we get back?” he asks, eyes wide. “What do we tell people if they ask why we’re being featured in a wedding magazine?”

“I really don’t know,” Yixing confesses, his eyes a little sad, “I guess the truth—or at least some version of it.”

Baekhyun nods, then pastes on a smile. “At least we’ll get some really cool looking pictures out of this.” He turns to go to where Chanyeol and Kyungsoo wait but Yixing’s stops him with a hand around his wrist.

“I’m happy to be fake engaged to you, Baek. You’d be an excellent real life fiancé.”

Baekhyun is left a little breathless as Yixing leads him over to the waiting pair and they take pictures in the bright afternoon sunlight. They walk back unhurriedly to the Manhattan side hand-in-hand while Kyungsoo gives them an overview of the rest of their schedule.

“After this we’re going to take the Staten Island Ferry and get some pictures, then you’re free for the night.”

“You can do coupley stuff without us making you feel pressured!” Chanyeol adds with a grin and a waggle of his eyebrows. Kyungsoo smacks the back of his head in response and Chanyeol whimpers like a puppy.

They hop on the subway, taking the green line to the ferry terminal. “Tomorrow we have kind of a surprise set up though, since it’s your last full day here.” 

Baekhyun tries to needle more details out of Kyungsoo as they approach the terminal, but he is immune to the other’s charms and keeps his secrets to himself.

They don’t have to wait long for the boat to arrive, and they clamber aboard with the rest of the waiting crowd once it docks. They file up the steep staircase and head out onto the second deck so they can take in the view of the river.

“Xing, quick, get behind me and we can be Jack and Rose!” Baekhyun says tugging on Yixing’s sleeve to try and pull him into position once the boat is in motion.

“We’re not even at the bow!” Yixing protests on a laugh, but obliges the other and wraps his arms around him anyway.

Baekhyun laughs loudly, then starts singing “My Heart Will Go On” at the top of his lungs. He is completely butchering the words and drawing stares and bemused smiles from the other passengers while Chanyeol clicks away on his camera excitedly.

“You are so lucky you’re cute,” Yixing grumbles, his cheeks an impressive shade of red.

“Don’t even lie, you love me.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Yixing replies softly, “I do.”

Baekhyun turns at his words, his eyes focused narrowly on his best friend and his heart jumping into his throat. He meant it as a throwaway phrase, but Yixing’s voice, his eyes, are making him wonder. He opens his mouth, not sure what will come out, but before he can speak someone else’s voice catches them off guard.

“Perfect shot, stay right there!” Chanyeol’s voice shatters the moment.

The shutter clicks and the moment passes; they remain exactly where they were.

As they’re going back ashore, the boat lurches quickly and Baekhyun once again finds himself in Yixing’s arms as he pitches sideways and nearly falls over. The universe is conspiring to give him exactly what he wants in all the wrong ways and it is torture.

The rest of the afternoon is a flurry of more sightseeing as they try and see as much of the city as they can with the limited time available.

\---

Baekhyun’s subconscious nighttime cuddles strike again their last full day in New York. He wakes up to Yixing smiling down at him fondly where his head is pillowed on Yixing’s chest.

“Morning,” Yixing greets him softly.

“Uh,” Baekhyun says dumbly trying to roll off his friend quickly, but he’s stopped when Yixing’s arms wrap tightly around him. “Sorry, you know I get clingy in my sleep,” he says, trying to extract himself from Yixing’s hold, but Yixing only tightens his grip in response.

“It’s nice,” Yixing mumbles into Baekhyun’s hair. “You’re comfortable—make me feel comfortable,” Yixing says, his words slow as his brain takes a minute to work out the words he wants. “You’re extra huggable in New York. That’s something I’ve noticed recently.”

Baekhyun’s heart is racing and he hopes Yixing can’t feel it. This fake fiancé thing is hitting a little too close to feelings he never really planned on coming to fruition, and Yixing’s overly affectionate nature is not helping him keep his hold on reality. If he doesn’t keep reminding himself, he may soon forget that they’re just playing make believe and break his own heart in the process.

“You’re comfortable too, maybe that’s why I keep subconsciously using you as a pillow,” Baekhyun says and digs his chin into Yixing’s ribs to underline his point.

Yixing yelps and twists away from Baekhyun, who is feeling both relieved and saddened by the loss of contact. It’s safer to keep the distance right now when he isn’t quite sure what it is that lies between them. He’s going to bring up the subject today though. It’s probably a long overdue conversation on his part, but if he’s reading the signals correctly, Yixing might be feeling something close to what he is.

Baekhyun rolls out of bed and rubs the sleep from his eyes. They aren’t meeting Chanyeol and Kyungsoo until eleven though, so he flops back down on the bed, careful to stick to his side now. Yixing is fumbling with the remote and Baekhyun keeps stealing glances at him. The fourth time he looks, Yixing is looking back at him.

“What?” Yixing asks, amusement lacing his voice.

“Nothing,” Baekhyun replies turning his attention back to the television. He wants to broach the subject, but he needs caffeine in his system first so he can put his thoughts in some kind of order. He forces himself out of bed a minute later and goes to gather his clothes so he can shower.

“You should make yourself useful while I’m showering and go get us coffee and breakfast,” he says throwing a look over his shoulder as he shuts the door before Yixing can argue.

When he returns from the bathroom, Yixing is holding out a coffee for him and his heart melts a little more at the sight. “I think I’ll keep you,” Baekhyun hums as he takes the coffee and plops down next to him.

“Like you could get rid of me,” Yixing scoffs and shoves a plate loaded with bacon and eggs towards him before picking his own back up and resuming his breakfast.

“How many trips down did you make?” Baekhyun asks remembering his own adventure with coffee and muffins.

“Two. One for coffee, the other for food.”

“A true prince,” Baekhyun feints a swoon, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead and gets an eye roll in response.

“Where are we meeting Chanyeol and Kyungsoo?” Yixing asks a minute later once he’s finished his food.

“Somewhere on 34th street—Kyungsoo gave me an address, but I don’t feel like moving to get it right now,” Baekhyun replies with a pointed sip of his coffee.

\---

“Macy’s?” Yixing asks sounding out the English on the sign once they get to their destination.  
Baekhyun gives him a shrug and peers in the window curiously, “It’s a department store. Maybe we’ll get some free clothes?” he asks hopefully.

“A shopping date,” Yixing hums. “Sounds nice.”

“Baekhyun! Yixing!” Chanyeol’s voice draws their attention and they turn to return his greeting. “We wanted to go out with kind of a ‘bang’ so to speak,” he starts explaining.

“Since we’re a wedding magazine,” Kyungsoo picks up the thread of conversation, “we thought it would be nice to get shots of you two trying on suits for the wedding. So kind of like formal-engagement-preview-of-your-wedding-pictures.”

Baekhyun blinks back at him, “Oh. That sounds...” he looks at Yixing for help because this is probably not an excellent idea, but he doesn’t know how to convey that without giving them away.

“Lovely!” Yixing chirps unhelpfully.

Baekhyun gapes at him, but the damage is done. All of Chanyeol’s teeth are showing in his smile and even Kyungsoo is giving them a smile of his own. This is going to be a disaster.

They file inside the store and head straight for the second floor where they can browse the various brands available.

After a brief consultation with one of the styling professionals, Baekhyun finds himself in a dressing room alone. Chanyeol is insisting on getting reaction shots of them seeing one another for the first time in each outfit “so it’ll be like your real wedding day!” Baekhyun had tried to argue that they are going to pick out suits together so any reaction shots wouldn’t be necessary, but his complaints fell on deaf ears.

Baekhyun gripes his way into the first suit- some kind of slim fit. He already doesn’t like it very much. He’s struggling with the bowtie and is contemplating just going without it when a soft knock sounds on the door.

“Yes?”

“Are you ready?” Kyungsoo’s voice is slightly muffled through the hard plastic of the door.

“I need help with my bowtie,” Baekhyun calls back in defeat, one hand on each end of the fabric in his hands. He walks to the door and opens it a crack, looking at Kyungsoo warily. “Can you tie one of these?” he asks holding the offending item out.

Ten minutes and a YouTube tutorial later, Kyungsoo is leading Baekhyun out into the sitting room where Chanyeol is waiting with Yixing. When Baekhyun sees him, his first reaction is to let out a short laugh of surprise.

They’re wearing the same suit.

It sits differently on Yixing’s shoulders than it does his and looks a little better on his frame, but it’s still not what he would choose. Yixing seems to be thinking the same thing.

“You’re handsome, Baekhyunnie, but that suit doesn’t do anything for you,” Yixing informs him sagely.

“I could say the same thing about you.”

They pose together, one shot standing side by side, the next holding hands. For the third shot, Yixing stoops quickly and literally sweeps Baekhyun off his feet, holding him bridal style while Baekhyun’s arms find purchase around Yixing’s neck out of instinct. Chanyeol is a flurry of motion as he snaps picture after picture of their laughing faces.

The second suit Baekhyun tries on is better, but still not making him feel like the million dollars he knows he is worth. This time the stylist gives him a dark red tie and pocket square combination to break up the black. Baekhyun likes the pop of color, but he’s not sure it’s the right one.

Yixing’s suit is a deep blue and his tie and pocket square are a lighter blue. Baekhyun likes it, but again, he knows it’s not what he would wear if they were really getting married. He realizes that he’s starting to take this whole thing a little too seriously now and needs to shake himself out if it.

“Turn around,” Baekhyun requests, “let me see what you’re working with!”

Yixing ignores him, so Baekhyun turns instead, shaking his ass and garnering a laugh from Chanyeol who is more than happy to capture the moment. He’s happy to see Yixing’s dimple appear when he can’t keep the smile off of his face.

“That suit makes you ass look huge,” Yixing teases.

“At least I have an ass,” Baekhyun shoots back with a grin. “Besides, you love my ass.”

“It is a very nice ass,” Yixing agrees reaching over and grabbing a handful.

Baekhyun smacks his hand away and turns to him, scandalized, “Not in front of company!” he hisses.

Kyungsoo is staring, a mixture of bemusement and impatience gracing his features, “You two deserve each other,” he informs them.

A few more poses pass, then Baekhyun rolls his shoulders. He’s starting to feel tired from just trying on clothes.

“I don’t give models enough credit,” he tells Yixing as they sip water and Kyungsoo speaks with the stylists.

“Last change,” Kyungsoo calls out and both Baekhyun and Yixing give him grateful smiles.

Baekhyun obediently goes back to the dressing room and sees the third suit. It’s Gucci, something he could never afford, but feels like it is made to fit him from the moment he steps into the pants. He feels expensive as he slips the jacket onto his shoulders. He’s glad they’ve decided to keep it simple for him with a crisp white shirt and a black tie that he knots with ease. He takes a quick mirror selfie because this look needs to be instagrammed as quickly as possible with the hashtag #youcantaffordme.

When he finally gets back to the waiting room he finds that he has finally beaten Yixing out there. He’s fiddling with the cufflink on his left wrist when Yixing steps out and Baekhyun’s breath hitches at the sight. He can’t stop his jaw from dropping a little at the sight and Yixing peers back at him, eyebrows furrowed.

“Is something wrong?” he asks running his hands down his front, trying to smooth out wrinkles that aren’t there.

“No, you just look,” Baekhyun falters, casts his eyes down before bringing them back up, “You look amazing.”

A pleased smile works its way onto Yixing’s face and his dimple shows again.

“You look really good too,” Yixing replies as he comes to stand next to Baekhyun.

Together they look at themselves in the mirror. Baekhyun reaches out and takes Yixing’s hand on impulse. _This_ Baekhyun thinks, _is how we would look if we were really getting married._ The thought leaves him more sad than it should, so he mentally shakes it off and beams at his best friend.

“Let’s do a kissing pose,” Chanyeol suggests suddenly.

Baekhyun’s eyes go wide and he knows Yixing is in a similar state because both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are laughing at them.

“I know you two value your modesty—you’ve been less PDA-inclined than we were expecting, but we also get that since your relationship isn’t as widely accepted in some places. But I at least want to give our editor the option of using a kissing shot, so please feel comfortable around us.”

This is it, either kiss or come clean. They’d been too lucky during this trip and somewhere in the back of his mind, Baekhyun had known it all along. Knew they would need to clear this hurdle or forfeit the game altogether.

They turn towards one another and Baekhyun realizes he never dropped Yixing’s hand. He gives it a gentle squeeze, hopes it conveys both _We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to_ and _I’m really looking forward to this_.

Before Baekhyun can fully process it, Yixing is crowding into him and tilting his head slightly to the side. When their lips meet, it’s a gentle pressure, and Baekhyun lets out a small sigh of contentment as he melts into the kiss. They keep it chaste, but even so, when they pull back Baekhyun is flushed and his breaths are coming faster than they should. He can’t look at Yixing.

“I’m gonna—I need to go,” he says, then turns and bolts from the room as quickly as possible. 

He’s kicking himself for letting this charade go on for as long as he had. He’s careful with the borrowed clothes, making sure he doesn’t pull the buttons even as he works quickly to shed the layers. He needs to remove himself as fully from this situation as fast as possible to reset the balance of the world.

He has his pants around his ankles when a knock startles him.

“Don’t come in!” he calls out on instinct and hurries to redress himself in his own clothing.

“Baek, it’s me. Please let me in.”

Yixing’s voice is soft and pleading through the door, but Baekhyun can still hear the worry in it. Baekhyun takes three calming breaths and makes sure he’s put back together before he opens the door. Yixing is still in the suit. Baekhyun sucks in another deep breath.

“Are you okay?” Yixing asks, confusion lacing his words.

Baekhyun groans softly and sinks down onto the little stool inside the room. He wants to lie, say that he just got a little overwhelmed, but Yixing deserves better than another lie.

“This past week has been both the best and worst thing I have ever done I think,” he says suddenly feeling exhausted. “This time we’ve spent together, the things we’ve done, I have loved and hated every second.”

Yixing’s mouth drops open slightly in confusion as he tries to process what Baekhyun is saying. Baekhyun wants to reach over and close it, to cover it with his own to make him understand.

“I think I’ve been in love with you since about three weeks after we met,” Baekhyun confesses finally.

Yixing’s jaw drops fully at that and he gapes at Baekhyun like a fish. “Really? That long? I never considered—”

Baekhyun flinches as if he’d been slapped and visibly recoils from Yixing. He’d never even considered the possibility? He stands then, suddenly, and gives him a small sad smile. He pushes past him and walks past Chanyeol and Kyungsoo as well, past the curious stylists. He ignores Yixing calling after him and loses himself on the busy streets of New York City.

\---

In his fog, Baekhyun hadn’t paid attention to what direction he was going and eventually finds himself standing confused at an intersection he doesn’t recognize. Luckily he spots a Starbucks across the street, so he waits for the light to change to cross. Once inside, he joins the line and orders an iced coffee before settling down in a corner at an empty table.

As he sips his drink, he takes advantage of the free Wi-Fi offered and opens up his and Jongdae’s Katalk chat.

_I’m in hiding right now. ___

__ what did you do? _ _

___Confessed to Xing?_ _ _

__ whyy is that phrased as a question? _ _

__Baekhyun sighs and hits the connect call button This is too much to convey over chat. He waits for Jongdae to pick up, then lays his head down on the table, phone pressed to his ear._ _

__“I just basically told him I’ve been in love with him for three years,” Baekhyun whines into the phone when his friend answers._ _

__“That couldn’t have come as a shock to him—wait, this is Yixing we’re talking about so it probably did.”_ _

__“Right in one,” Baekhyun confirms miserably. He lifts his head and takes another sip of his drink._ _

__“He said he hadn’t even considered it.”_ _

__“Ouuuch,” Jongdae says sympathetically. “Did he say he would now consider it though?”_ _

__Baekhyun shakes his head even though Jongdae can’t see him. “I said I was in hiding. I didn’t really stick around to hear platitudes or anything.”_ _

__“So you left before you gave him a chance to say anything else?” Jongdae’s tone is accusatory and Baekhyun bristles._ _

__“I wasn’t just embarrassed, I was mortified. When you hear that the person you’ve been pining after hasn’t even remotely given the thought of you as a romantic possibility any thought, it stings.”_ _

__“True. I get that. But Baek, you do realize you’re booked on the same flight home? Isn’t it going to be more than a little awkward if you’re trying to avoid him?”_ _

__Baekhyun thumps his head back down on the table, then bows quickly in apology when he startles the couple at the table next to him._ _

__“I do realize that. I still have to go back to our room tonight anyway. All my stuff is there.” Baekhyun winces at the thought of what fourteen hours of awkward silence would feel like._ _

__“He’s your best friend, give him a chance to explain himself. He deserves that from you. And don’t throw away your friendship over unrequited love. Yeah, it sucks, but I’ve seen you two together. Even if he says differently right now, I think he does have similar feelings to yours.”_ _

__“Thanks, Dae,” Baekhyun says._ _

__They say their goodbyes and Baekhyun gets directions back to the hotel. He decides to walk back to prolong the inevitable confrontation for as long as possible._ _

__\---_ _

__Baekhyun stops outside of their room and steels himself. He needs to apologize for running off and not giving Yixing the chance to explain himself. And for making him deal with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo on his own. He’s an adult. He can do this. He slips the keycard into the slot and pushes the door open tentatively._ _

__Before he can open his mouth, Baekhyun catches sight of Yixing hurtling towards him across the small space. He braces for impact, but only feels Yixing’s arms wrap around him and pull him close._ _

__“Where have you _been_?” Yixing demands. “You smell like coffee,” he adds, pulling back to stare at him._ _

__Baekhyun can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out of him. This is not quite the reaction he had been expecting._ _

__“Starbucks. It had free Wi-Fi and I needed to figure out where I was and what I was doing. Jongdae talked some sense into me.”_ _

__“You left before I got to say anything. That’s not fair, Baek,” Yixing chastises as he unwinds himself from Baekhyun and tugs him towards the bed. “This time I get to talk and you listen.”_ _

__Baekhyun sits in front of him on the bed and steadies himself. Yixing is right, he needs to hear him out, even if it hurts._ _

__“These past days have been some of the most fun I can remember. You’re such an important person to me, and I am so lucky to have you in my life. I don’t know what would happen if I lost you—so when you disappeared today, it worried me. “Yixing’s words tumble out of his mouth, his vowels rounding more than they should in his need for Baekhyun to understand his feelings._ _

__“Me too, you’re—”_ _

__Yixing’s hand over his mouth stops Baekhyun’s words immediately._ _

__“ _I’m_ talking, _you’re_ listening,” he repeats._ _

__Baekhyun nods his understanding._ _

__“If you had given me a chance to finish earlier,” Yixing says with a sigh, “You would have heard me say, I never even considered the possibility that you would feel the same way that I do. I think I’ve been in love with _you_ since that first week when you had me wandering around campus going twenty minutes out of my way.”_ _

__Yixing’s hand is still over his mouth, but it doesn’t matter because Baekhyun is speechless anyway. He thinks he’s heard wrong, that Yixing did not just return his confession. He reaches up cautiously and wraps his fingers around Yixing’s wrist, gently tugging his hand away from his mouth._ _

__“You’re serious?” Baekhyun asks._ _

__Instead of replying, Yixing leans down and covers Baekhyun’s mouth with his own._ _

__Even if the angle is a little weird, this kiss is intense. It’s full of missed opportunities and years of unspoken desire. They pull apart minutes later, grinning at one another and panting lightly._ _

__“Why did we wait so long to do this?” Baekhyun asks as he tugs Yixing down beside him on the bed. He leans in and steals another kiss, then another._ _

__“I’m not sure, but we can discuss that later. Right now, let’s just,” Yixing trails off as he lays down and pulls Baekhyun so that they’re together, his lips a breath from Baekhyun’s._ _

__“By the way,” Baekhyun says quietly as he curls further into Yixing, “We should probably come clean to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.”_ _

__“I already did,” Yixing sighs and runs his hand down Baekhyun’s back and rests it on his hip. “I had to tell them something to explain why you ran off and you know how bad I am at lying.”_ _

__Baekhyun buries his face in the crook of Yixing’s neck causing the other to try and squirm away._ _

__“Were they mad?” he asks._ _

__“A little, yeah,” Yixing nods. “They want to meet tomorrow morning before we leave to discuss things.”_ _

__“That makes sense,” Baekhyun concedes._ _

__Baekhyun’s stomach growling breaks the tension and they both laugh. Yixing reaches for the room service menu and they settle in for their last night in New York._ _

__\---_ _

__Yixing’s fingers are carding through his hair when Baekhyun wakes the next morning. He feels warm, and loved, and extremely lazy._ _

__“Do we really have to go home today?” he asks sadly._ _

__“We do,” Yixing confirms. “But we do have another fourteen hour flight together first,” he adds happily._ _

__“And an awkward as hell meeting with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun moans and pulls his pillow over his face. “Do you maybe want to deal with that on your own?”_ _

__Baekhyun yelps when Yixing snatches the pillow and hits him in the face with it in reply._ _

__\---_ _

__They’re meeting the pair in the lobby at noon, so they take their time packing their belongings and making double and triple sure that they’re not leaving anything behind._ _

__The ride down in the elevator is quiet and a bit cramped with their luggage. Instead of dragging their bags along behind them, they stop at the front desk to ask Sehun if they can leave them in storage until they’re ready to go._ _

__When Kyungsoo and Chanyeol arrive a few minutes later, neither of them are smiling as much as usual. Before they can even say a word, Baekhyun is apologizing._ _

__“I am so sorry for everything. This is really all my fault and Yixing just went along with it because he is the nicest person in the entire world. I should have read the description of the contest, or the details in the e-mail to figure out exactly what kind of trip I had won. I was selfish and didn’t think of the consequences you might face with your editor for my lying. Really, I’m so sorry.”_ _

__Chanyeol is staring at him, a little taken aback while Kyungsoo looks mildly impressed._ _

__“That was a lot to process,” Chanyeol says and gives Kyungsoo a glance._ _

__They settle into the empty seats at the table Baekhyun and Yixing have made themselves comfortable at and Baekhyun reaches over and takes Yixing’s hand under the table._ _

__“We talked to our editor, and he’s not pleased, but he likes the story anyway,” Kyungsoo tells them._ _

__“If it’s any consolation, we are actually together now?” Baekhyun offers with a wry smile._ _

__Kyungsoo snorts out a laugh. “When we get back he’s going to have us re-work it from a different angle and see what we can make of it, but there’s still no guarantee it will go to press with the fact that you're a same sex couple in a country that does not recognize same sex marriage.”_ _

__“Sorry for the trouble,” Yixing says and gives Baekhyun’s hand a small squeeze._ _

__“Are you going to make us pay you back?” Baekhyun blurts out finally asking the question that has been plaguing him._ _

__“We’re not in charge of that,” Chanyeol says with a shrug. “Minseok hyung didn’t say anything about it, but if he decides to he will be in touch.”_ _

__\---_ _

__Baekhyun once again shuffles down the narrow aisle of the plane following Yixing. He’s happier than he’s been in a long time, but he knows that reality could come crashing down on him at any time. When they get back home they won’t have the safety of a vacation in a foreign city. They’ll have to figure out how they work in the real world with work and social expectations placed upon them. It won’t be easy, Baekhyun knows, but it will be worth it._ _

__

__

__**Epilogue of sorts** _ _

__They don’t end up running the spread in _Cherish_ , but they don’t make them pay back the money either. They get copies of all of the photos and Kyungsoo sends them the copy he had worked up documenting the start of their relationship. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo end up becoming good friends of Yixing and Baekhyun and Chanyeol is hired as the photographer for their civil union. Yixing’s grandmother falls in love with Baekhyun when they meet and Yixing wants to move in with Baekhyun’s grandmother in her place by the mountains. They end up adopting a couple of kids and dogs and live happily ever after._ _

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclosure: I have been to New York exactly twice in my life- once with my mom and once with friends, so I based a good 85% of the activities they do on stuff I did the times I was there. And like Baek, I can appreciate the effort of modern art, but most of the time it just pisses me off. And I really did see that burlap square piece on display and got irrationally angry over it.
> 
> I'm @thoroughlynerdy on Twitter, so if you're going to the EXOrDIUM in LA, let me know because I am flying in Thursday night and will be there on my own through Saturday. I'd love to make some line buddies and not be by my socially awkward self the whole time I'm waiting for doors to open if at all possible :D


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